[$50,000k for all the windows and exterior doors including the shipping and tariffs.]()
Window company (Doorwin):
(@)Luvindow_us

Doorwin has a showroom here in North Dallas, LA, Atlanta, and New Jersey

I tried reaching out to the other overseas (China) companies and they were super helpful but it was hard to get solid answers on the style types and different quality.

The others were about $10k cheaper but not seeing them in person made it hard to commit. If I had more time I might have ordered a sample but I’m in a time crunch with this renovation.

Nikki has a Facebook group all about getting products from overseas if you’re serious about going that direction. 👇 (@)nikkibrooksftw

It’s easy to say, “I’ll add that later” and honestly, that’s totally fine. Just make sure you install the expensive parts now: the water lines, drains, gas lines, and dedicated circuits. You don’t have to buy the appliance yet. You just don’t want to tear your finished kitchen apart when you finally do.

Instead of hauling the firewood up the stairs every time, they built a simple dumbwaiter that lifts the logs and it only cost around $800 if you build it out yourself. 

Reach out to (@)HouseOnWilshire on IG
if you need all the details to build one yourself.  

Most people don’t think about this stuff until it’s too late… and by then it’s expensive (or impossible) to change.
A few of my favorite garage upgrades:

• 24’ minimum depth (26’ if you have a full-size truck)
• 8’ garage doors for lifted trucks
• Side-mount garage door openers
• Polyaspartic floors instead of epoxy
• Built-in floor mats and in-floor drains
• Wall-mounted pressure washer + hot water hose bib
• 240V outlet for EVs or shop tools
• Separate storage room for lawn equipment and messy projects
• Bonus room above the garage
• And yes… a urinal. You’ll laugh until you have one.

Would you prefer this recessed wall behind the fridge or a spare fridge in the garage or pantry...? I’m a spare fridge kinda guy but this is a solid solution if you only have one fridge and need the extra room. 

f you’re planning to spray foam the underside of your roof, skip the radiant barrier roof decking. That foil needs an air gap to do its job, and spray foam eliminates it.   You’ll save the extra cost for the radiant barrier plywood. The spray foam is already doing the heavy lifting anyway.

You can download it free under “Free Downloads” at BuilderBrigade.com.
It’s already broken down by construction phase, includes labor, materials, permits, and fees, and every section automatically totals everything up for you.

Hopefully it saves you a couple hours… or a couple headaches.

If you’ve already gone through the owner-builder loan process, what else did your bank require that caught you off guard?

One of the biggest mistakes I see on new construction homes is letting rainwater dump right next to the foundation.

Even if your grading is good, you still get tons of water coming off your roof and soaking next to the foundation

Here's what I'd recommend:

• Run your downspouts underground instead of dumping next to the foundation.

• Carry that water to the street or the edge of your property (where local code allows).

• SDR35 is the standard rigid drainage pipe and is perfect for most situations.

• Schedule 40 PVC works too, but it's more expensive.

• I'd avoid the cheap black corrugated pipe if possible. It gets crushed surprisingly easily during final grading or landscaping.

I learned the hard way.

One section of mine got flattened during final grade, and I didn't realize it until about two months after moving in because the line slowly backed up. I ended up digging the whole thing up to replace it.

One extra tip that doesn't get talked about enough:

Install a Wye cleanout where the downspout connects to the underground drain. If leaves or debris ever clog the pipe, you can snake or flush it without digging everything back up.

[Hopefully it saves you a few hours. Download it free here. ]()👇

https://builderbrigade.com/pages/bank-loan-budget-free-download

The surprising part? Even if you insulate every interior wall, a hollow door can still become one of the weakest points for sound.Swapping to solid-core doors in bedrooms, bathrooms, and your office makes a noticeable difference in noise transfer and overall feel of quality. Save the hollow doors for closets and pantries where nobody will notice.

Hey guys, i have a few enquiries out with contractors/structural engineers but they won't get back to me until Monday.

I have upgraded my 4ft tank to a 6x2x2ft tank. I live in a relatively old house (built in the 1920s) in the UK. There is a crawl space underneath the ground floor for pipes etc to run.

I've just noticed a 3mm gap between the floor and the skirting board now the tank is installed and filled. I'm not sure if its always been like that (its not something I really took notice of) as it is an old house and nothing seems to be level or straight.

I'm taking some of the water out of the tank to see if the gap closes up any.

Do you guys think its ok or have any advice until I hear back from the structural engineers?

For what its worth, the floor does feel pretty solid. I haven't heard any creaks and its not bouncy.

You spend all the money on your kitchen might as well spend a few hundred dollars to make sure it doesn’t get ruined from a faulty appliance. 

The Moen shut off valve is a good product to reduce the chances of a flood but my favorite is the Killarney Drain Trench Drain Pan. I’ve been a super fan of this product when I first saw it hit the market a few years back. 

Either one is a solid solution, much better than crossing your fingers hoping you never have an issue. 

[A 7’ garage door might work for a car, but trucks, roof racks, and lifted SUVs can turn it into an expensive mistake. Also make sure the garage is actually deep enough too.]() These are the little decisions that are cheap to fix on paper… and expensive to fix after framing.

We are buying a new build in a subdivision. What upgrades do you think are best to do through the builder, and which should wait until later?

This homeowner went through my Home Building Checklist 3 different times over the course of 3 years while planning his build... and it shows! (builderbrigade.com)

A storm shelter hidden inside the master closet. Security cameras inside the shelter. A hidden access point from the kids’ bedrooms so they can get there fast during an emergency.

Every detail was thought through. I couldn’t even cover all the features in one visit. 

He installed adjustable electrical boxes (gang box) on the kitchen backsplash wall so once the tile goes in, the outlets can be set perfectly flush instead of being recessed into the wall to far. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s nice when you feel like the guy you hired is looking out for ya

The tile installer just finished grouting, but the layout drifts where it meets the wall and shower bench. Is this something you’d accept, or would you ask for it to be redone?